Milwaukee Bucks have Reported Interest in Jae Crowder

Although just two games in the 2022-2023 NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly already searching for ways to improve their roster.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Milwaukee Bucks have shown interest in Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder.

"“In addition to the Hawks, the Suns have recently been engaged in talks with the Bucks on a potential Jae Crowder trade, sources said. Milwaukee has registered interest in the veteran forward who has remained away from the Suns’ organization as both sides work toward a trade,” said Charania."

Crowder did not participate in the Suns’ training camp and has been away from the team for months. Crowder Tweeted this in late September:

Crowder, 32, is no stranger to Milwaukee, as he played at Marquette for two years and recently played a pivotal role in the 2021 NBA Finals when the Bucks beat the Suns for their first championship in 50 years. Last year, Crowder averaged 9.4 points with 4.8 rebounds and shot 34.8% from 3. Crowder’s three-point shooting has been spotty throughout his career, shooting close to 40% some years while falling to the low 30s in others.

Crowder’s value, however, is on the defensive end. He can guard multiple positions and offers the ‘switchability’ that the Bucks love. Adding Crowder to the team would allow the Bucks to run a lineup similar to the one they used in the 2021 NBA Finals with PJ Tucker, which had so much success.

Currently, the Bucks do not have the personnel to successfully run a lineup with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the center position. The Bucks are simply missing the wing defenders to run a true small-ball lineup deep in the playoffs. Adding Crowder would allow for a Holiday-Matthews-Middleton-Crowder-Antetokounmpo lineup, which would be an absolute nightmare for opposing offenses to score on.

However, acquiring Crowder would come at a price. Crowder will make over $10 million this year, making it an awfully hard contract for the Bucks to trade for. This means that a trade for Crowder would almost certainly have to involve Grayson Allen and his $8.5 million that he will make this year.

This is certainly a dilemma for the Milwaukee Bucks. Do the Bucks give away Allen after having a very successful regular season and first round of the playoffs last year? While Allen did struggle in the second round versus the Celtics, so did the majority of the team without Middleton.

Another scenario that doesn’t involve Allen is a package of George Hill, Jordan Nwora, and MarJon Beauchamp. The Bucks may be hesitant to give away one of their youngest players, as the Bucks are already the oldest team in the NBA, with an average age of 30. Also, this trade could not be completed until after December 15th, as the majority of players who signed contracts in the offseason, as Nwora did, cannot be traded before December 15th.

The fit on the court would be fantastic with Crowder. He is a proven player and has made numerous deep playoff runs with a variety of teams. The financial fit is a different story. It would be difficult to acquire Crowder given the Milwaukee Bucks’ limitations both financially and with assets. We will have to see if this rumor develops as the year goes on.